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Portland Parks & Recreation continues drinking water testing

Portland Parks & Recreation (PP&R) is continuing testing that began in June 2016 at several of our properties as a voluntary precautionary measure. PP&R is adhering to the guidance put forward by Oregon Health Authority and the Environmental Protection Agency that lead in drinking water at schools and day cares should not exceed 20 parts per billion (ppb).

NEXT SITES FOR TESTING

Working with our partners at Portland Water Bureau, PP&R is moving forward with testing at all PP&R facilities that host preschools, regardless of date of construction. This will total more than 20 sites. Because of the high number of samples to be collected at each facility, testing will likely take most of the summer to complete. PP&R’s focus continues to be on any likely prolonged drinking water access by children, as this testing moves forward.

Here is the full list of sites that will be tested this summer:

COMPLETED TESTING

PENDING TESTING

PDX Children's Museum

Hillside Community Center

Columbia Pool

Multnomah Arts Center

Matt Dishman Community Center & Pool

Community Music Center

Fulton Community Center

Montavilla Community Center & Pool

Interstate Firehouse Cultural Center

Mt. Tabor Annex

Portland Tennis Center

Southwest Community Center & Pool

Charles Jordan Community Center

Sellwood Community Center

East Portland Community Center & Pool

Woodstock Community Center

Grant Pool

St. John’s Racquet Center

Creston Pool

St. Johns Community Center

Pier Pool

Mt. Scott Community Center & Pool

Wilson Pool*

Pennisula Park Community Center & Pool

Sellwood Pool

Laurelhurst Dance Studio

Buckman Pool*

*pending coordination with PPS

On Monday, July 18, 2016, PP&R received results from testing at our Charles Jordan Community Center; results are posted here. All water tested below the threshold of 20 parts per billion (ppb).

Consistent with guidance from the Portland Water Bureau and the Environmental Protection Agency, samples were taken from fixtures commonly used for drinking or cooking.

ALL TEST RESULTS AVAILABLE ONLINE

PP&R will continue communicating about the test results directly to site patrons, and results will be posted on this website for all Portlanders to see: portlandoregon.gov/LeadInfo.

“We are working to ensure there are no ongoing issues with lead in drinking water at Portland Parks & Recreation facilities,” says PP&R Director Mike Abbaté. “And that any that we encounter are immediately addressed to protect public health, and then fully remediated. While test results to this point have been encouraging, overall, we strive to provide ‘Healthy Parks, Healthy Portland’.

Multnomah County health authorities say they have conducted more than 15,000 blood tests over the last three years on children and teens. The County says that of those 15-thousand-plus tests, elevated blood lead levels were found in 190 of those people. No cases were traced to lead in drinking water from any source.